Knowledgebase

ResDAC has developed over 100 articles that cover topics ranging from the CMS data request process through using the data for a study. CMS has developed additional resources, including TAF data quality briefs and TAF data quality state snapshots, examining the quality of the Medicaid data.
Introductory
Articles
CMS offers files from aggregate data to individual person level data. This article describes the differences between the aggregate, public use files, the limited data sets,…
This article describes the Federal Regulations that govern the release of CMS data for research.
The purpose of this article is to identify 1) common strengths of Medicare and Medicaid administrative data and 2)  broad limitations for researchers to consider when…
Medicare-paid observation stays may be found in the Medicare Outpatient, Inpatient, or MedPAR files. This article describes how to identify observation stays that appear in each as defined by CMS billing guidance.
For data years 2006 and forward, dually eligible Medicare beneficiaries are identified in the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary File, Base segment. Initially available only as a RIF, this file was released as an LDS file in 2016. The monthly variable “Medicare-Medicaid Dual Eligibility” identifies dual status. Dual eligibles are also identified in the Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX) Personal Summary (PS) file.
The CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) provides basic information about all organization and individual providers with a National Provider Identifier (NPI). This article provides a brief overview of how to access the NPPES and the information that it contains.
Detailed information about Medicare Part D drug plan formularies is available in two CMS data files. Important differences in the files are outlined below, including whether or not the files can be linked to other data sources.
The Medicare Hospital Service Area File is one of the few CMS non-identifiable files that can be opened in Microsoft Excel. The article describes the steps to import the file into Excel.
A number of CMS Limited Data Set (LDS) files are released first as a Proposed Rule file and then as a Final Rule file. This article provides a brief description of the differences between those two files.
The purpose of this article is to describe what ambulatory surgical centers are and to explain how this provider type differs from other provider types that bill Medicare.
CMS must ensure that all research requests for identifiable (RIF) data have IRB documentation to satisfy the requirements of the Common Rule and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This article describes the requirements and presents examples of acceptable IRB documentation. The IRB documentation must indicate that there was a review that satisfies the following two requirements:
Researchers who request the Minimum Data Set (MDS) from CMS will need to determine whether they would like data based on Target Date or Submission Date. This article provides definitions for Target and Submission dates and examples for when each selection is useful.
The beneficiary eligibility and enrollment files have changed in content and name over the years. It is important to understand the timing of these changes and the unique features of each file if you are using older files or see them referenced in articles.
Values that are "missing" in the Minimum Data Set (MDS) nursing home assessment can be represented by several different symbols. While all of these symbols represent that a value is "missing," the specific symbol indicates the specific reason why the value is missing.
The purpose of this article is to provide CMS’s definition of uncompensated care, the years collected, and location in the Medicare hospital cost report forms.